Lankan lasses play their first game against Chinese Taipei
Thilini Wasana Perera
The Sri Lanka women’s volleyball team will fly to Bangkok on May 10 to take part in the the second Asian Under-23 Volleyball Championships to be held from May 13 to 21.
In the first match they will face Chinese Taipei on May 13. The second game will be against Kazakhstan on May 14. The third match will be against Australia on May 15. If Sri Lanka can win two matches in the first round they can qualify for the Super Eight Round of the competition.
The Under-23 men’s team is currently taking part in the same tournament in Iran. This ends on May 9. Both teams are taking part in these contests for the first time. The women’s team is captained by Thilini Wasana Perera. The deputy is Thakshila Madurangi Seneviratne. The team will take wing to Thailand on May 10. The tournament is being conducted by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC). Fourteen teams are taking part in the competition.
Sri Lanka has been classified into Group ‘C’. The teams in this group are: Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and Australia. The Group ‘A’ teams are: Host nation Thailand, Macao and Hong Kong. Group ‘B’: Japan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Group D: Iran, New Zealand and Malaysia.
In last year’s competition China emerged champions with Thailand as the runners-up.
The Sri Lanka team: Thilini Wasana Perera (Captain). Thakshila Madurangi Seneviratne (Vice Capt), Kavisha Lakshani Perera, Apsara Sewmali Seneviratne, Ridmi Sakunthala Fernando, Chamali Sanjula Karunaratne, Anuradha Sandamali, Amani Kaushalya, R.A.A. Chathuni, Sachini Charuka,Vinodi Kaushalya, T.W.S.D.Ranatunga.
Officials: Janaka Indrajith (Head Coach), Maurice Chaminda Perera (Trainer), Ranthilika Jayaweera (Lady Chaperone).
Referee: B.M.K.B.S. Bannehaka. Chandana Wijesinghe (Manager).
